How Perimenopause Affects Marriage and Emotional Connection
What if the strain in your relationship right now isn’t incompatibility but capacity?
For many couples, midlife relationship strain doesn’t begin with one major conflict. It appears gradually; less patience, more misunderstandings, disrupted sleep, reduced intimacy, and a growing sense of distance.
In this episode, Dr. Shauna Watts speaks with Senior Clinical Psychologist and Certified Gottman Therapist, Natalie King, about how perimenopause affects not only a woman’s body, but the dynamic of her relationship.
Perimenopause is often discussed as a women’s health issue but it is also a relational transition.
Hormonal changes can influence mood, anxiety levels, sleep quality, energy, and emotional regulation. When these shifts are not recognized, couples can begin to attach meaning to them, questioning compatibility, commitment, or the future of the relationship.
Together, they explore:
Why relationship strain in midlife is often about reduced capacity rather than incompatibility
How anxiety, exhaustion, and sleep disruption affect communication
The role of resentment and why unresolved conflict builds over time
The Gottman Method and the communication patterns that place relationships at risk
Why repair conversations matter more than getting it right every time
How curiosity and small daily check-ins can prevent disconnection
The importance of maintaining friendship during major life transitions
Not every relationship will continue, and not every relationship should. But many couples can navigate this season more effectively when they understand what is changing and approach it as a shared experience rather than a personal failing.
If your relationship feels harder than it used to, this episode offers perspective, clarity, and practical direction.
Learn more about the 16 week Rediscover You program here:
🔗https://youbydrshaunawatts.com.au/16-week-rediscover-you-menopause-program/
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Follow and learn more from Natalie King here:
https://thereadclinic.com/practitioners/natalie-king/
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Chapters
01:10 — Perimenopause Is a Relationship Transition
04:44 — The Three Patterns Couples Fall Into
06:15 — Anxiety, Mood Shifts and Misinterpreted Meaning
09:01 — Why Couples Stop Giving Each Other Grace
11:31 — The Estrogen Veil and Role Realignment
16:20 — Rejection, Desire and Male Sensitivity
18:05 — Keeping Your Partner Informed
21:12 — Reactive Communication and the Power of Repair
24:10 — Strengthening the Friendship in Your Relationship
31:10 — The Gottman Method Explained
33:15 — The Four Horsemen of Relationship Breakdown
39:13 — Resentment and Repairing the Past
46:34 — From “What’s Wrong With Us?” to “What’s Happening to Us?”
Keywords
perimenopause and relationships
menopause and marriage
midlife relationship problems
perimenopause anxiety and mood
how hormones affect relationships
why do couples struggle in midlife
perimenopause emotional changes
feeling disconnected from partner midlife
Gottman method four horsemen
resentment in marriage midlife
perimenopause communication problems
divorce during menopause
Disclaimer: This podcast and any information, advice, opinions or statements within it do not constitute medical, health care or other professional advice. Information is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only.
